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Freiburg March 2015

COOPERATION AND NETWORKS IN EUROPEAN VOCAL MUSIC – 4/8 MARCH 2015 IN FREIBURG (GERMANY) :

The fourth LEO Sings! session took place in Freiburg – Germany on March 5th-8th 2015. Entitled “Cooperation and Networks in European Vocal Music”, it focused on how singers, singing teachers, choir conductors and vocal music organizers can improve the framework for singing, teaching and marketing choir and a cappella music based on the infrastructure and the ideas that have already been out there.

Obviously, after three previous sessions of this European Union lifelong learning project, the participants could make use of the results of the Barcelona, Aalborg and Tours conferences. Also, the members of the project partners and other participants who joined several of the meetings benefited from the growing LEO Sings! team spirit.

The three main event days focused on the main questions and you can find some examples of lectures and activities that made these topics come alive :

What's already out there? Analyzing the European vocal music infrastructure by best practice examples, musical presentations, expert panels and the collective building of a European vocal music map :

The European Vocal Music Map: All participants collaboratively created a vocal music map, adding the events, workshops and associations they know from all over Europe

Contemporary Pop Choir (Christian Ronsfeld): The international audience practiced a German pop hit that became a FIFA World Cup anthem

What's the challenge?What's in it for me? Discussing the trials and tribulations, the joy and the satisfaction of singers, conductors and organizers in their everyday business as well as presenting a toolbox for vocal music activists :

Debating: “Competitions – a force for good in the vocal music world?” (Moderator: Peter Martin Jacob)

On Sunday, before everybody left for his home country, the participants created a unique piece of documentary. Instead of the usual wrap-up and participant feedback, the group composed, rehearsed and live recorded a summary of the session. These “Musical Minutes” spontaneously ended with another question, that represents the spirit of innovation and curiosity that was so typical for the whole LEOsings project: “What's next?” (Watch the video here.).

Here is the complete report of what happened in Freiburg, the vocal capital of the Black Forest during 5 days :